Environmental Protection Order issued to Calgary company

The Alberta government has issued an environmental protection order to Locke Stock & Barrel Company Ltd. documenting the necessary steps to reclaim an oil and gas wellsite in the Municipal District of Foothills No. 31.

Overview

Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (ESRD) has been attempting to work with the company to resolve this reclamation issue at the company’s abandoned well since 2006.

ESRD made multiple requests for a remedial action plan with an implementation timeframe, but each time no substantial steps were undertaken to deal with remaining contamination.

The department met with the company in April 2013 to discuss the latest environmental sampling results, data gaps and address work that remains outstanding. The department also obtained a commitment of a timeline for the work to be completed.

After several points of contact, no further work had been undertaken by the company. On August 21, 2013, a “directions of an inspector” was issued. The directions included details on activities that need to be conducted/completed so that the company can apply for a reclamation certificate.

On January 31, 2014, a complaint was received from the landowner that no reclamation activities at the wellsite have occurred since the “directions of an inspector” was issued.

Terms of the Environmental Protection Order

Locke Stock & Barrel Co. Ltd. must:

conserve and reclaim the site in accordance with the 2010 Reclamation Criteria for Wellsites and Associated Facilities;

remediate any contamination on site, or off-site which originated from the well or any of its activities;

submit a final report to ESRD summarizing all work that has been undertaken to remediate any contamination;

apply to ESRD for a reclamation certificate for the well;

conduct weed spraying and maintenance on the site at least twice a year until ESRD issues a reclamation certificate to the company.

Environmental protection orders are a remedial tool to ensure that action is taken to fix an environmental problem. They are one of many tools – including education and prevention – used by Environment and Sustainable Resource Development to ensure all Albertans can continue to enjoy a safe and healthy environment.